Briefly explain the significance of the events and characters mentioned in relation to the Patriarchs in the Hebrew Scriptures.

SECTION ONE. THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES: The Patriarchs 1. (a) i) The angel advised Hagar to return to her mistress and submit to her*. ii) One of the men declared that Sarah, Abraham's wife, would have a son by the same time next year*. iii) Sarah's immediate reaction was that she laughed to herself*. 1. (b) i) Abraham was walking with them to send them on their way*. ii) Lot offered them hospitality, urging them to spend the night at his house, offering to wash their feet and provide a meal*. 1. (c) i) Rebekah worried that Jacob might marry a Canaanite woman, just as Esau had, which was a source of grief to her and Isaac*. ii) Jacob saw a staircase (or ladder) resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it*. 1. (d) i) Jacob rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well, watered Laban's sheep, kissed Rachel, and wept aloud, telling her he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son*. ii) According to Genesis 29:17, Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful*. iii) A lesson learned is that true love and commitment can endure significant hardship and long periods of waiting*. 2. (a) i) The animal involved was cows (fat and thin), and the crop was grain* (healthy and blighted ears of corn). ii) The wine steward remembered Joseph because Joseph had accurately interpreted his dream and the baker's dream while they were in prison, and the interpretations had come true*. iii) Joseph advised the king to appoint a discerning and wise man over Egypt to organize the collection and storage of food during the seven years of abundance*. 2. (b) i) Joseph's main role was to gather and store a vast amount of grain from the land during the seven years of abundance, preparing for the famine*. ii) Joseph told his brothers, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected*." iii) Joseph had his silver cup placed in Benjamin's sack*. 2. (c) i) Moses told Jethro he wanted to go back to his relatives in Egypt to see if they were still alive*. ii) God instructed Aaron to go into the wilderness to meet Moses*. iii) Moses and Aaron told the king of Egypt to allow the Israelites to move into the desert to hold a festival to the Lord*. iv) A lesson learned is that God is sovereign and powerful, protecting His people and punishing those who defy His will*. 3. (a) i) Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord*, where the ark of God was. ii) Samuel initially went to Eli because he did not yet know the Lord, and he thought Eli was calling him*. iii) The Lord was with Samuel, and he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground, so all Israel knew that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord*. 3. (b) i) The Israelites asked for a king because they wanted to be like other nations, with a king to lead them and fight their battles*. ii) The Lord told Samuel to listen to the people, for it was not Samuel they were rejecting, but Him (God) as their king*. iii) The Lord told Samuel to warn them solemnly and explain what the king who would reign over them would do, such as taking their sons for chariots, their daughters for perfumers, and their fields and vineyards*. 3. (c) i) Saul's son Jonathan* was deeply attracted to David. ii) The women were singing and dancing, and playing tambourines, lutes, and other musical instruments*. iii) Saul instructed David to bring him 100 Philistine foreskins. David actually brought 200 Philistine foreskins*. 3. (d) i)* Three reasons raised by Jonathan were: • David had not wronged Saul. • David had served Saul well and put his life on the line (killed Goliath). • David had brought about a great victory for Israel. ii) A lesson learned is that God protects His anointed ones, and He can intervene in unexpected ways to thwart the plans of those who seek to harm them*.